


Subtlety

by larvitar



Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/F, Humanstuck, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, just some good ol rosemary, rosemary, sharing jackets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 07:32:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6895708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larvitar/pseuds/larvitar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kanaya Maryam is not subtle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Subtlety

The night is rising from beneath the sun. Rose Lalonde and her friend are taking a walk through suburbia. It's quiet, 7:32 p.m., says Kanaya's phone, and most people are going inside, because it's getting late. Karkat has been screeching at her for an entire year to finally make a move on this girl. Anyone could see that Kanaya Maryam was incredibly gay for her best friend, Rose Lalonde, except her.

(Supposedly.)

Karkat had ranted to Kanaya about how girls need you to make the first move, usually, and if you're both girls, well, one of you has to "STEP UP AND BE A MAN", or something similar. Kanaya only had vague memories of her and Karkat's conversations. Usually though, they were about girl troubles or either one of their insecurities and mental illnesses (which was always fun).

So, Kanaya had decided to be subtle. Call her beautiful, and cute, which girls could get away with, according to Karkat. Also according to Karkat, "EVEN IF SHE ISN'T GAY, A GIRL CALLING ANOTHER GIRL CUTE IS SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE OF THE GAL PALS RULE." Kanaya had sighed, but he was right.

Problem is, Kanaya is terrible at being subtle (and is a bit of a dork).

Kanaya browses on her phone. Checks social media. Email. Texts. (Four of them were from Karkat, encouraging her to actually make a move. The other two were from Dave, Rose's brother, who incessantly sent crudely drawn comics. Terezi had insisted they were hilarious.) Lastly, the weather. It was 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Perfect.

Rose had insisted she didn't need a jacket. ("It's warm enough to get out without a jacket. You're not my mother, Kanaya.") She had, however, worn her favorite scarf.

"Well," started Kanaya, "it sure is pretty cold out here. I do wonder if any girl without a jacket could use one." She glanced at the darkening sky as her face heated up, trying to not look directly at Rose's face.

"Lucky for me," began Rose, "I have a chivalrous and wonderful friend here who seems more than willing to lend me her jacket." 

"Indeed." Kanaya gulped. Kanaya had worn her leather jacket, the slickest jacket she owned. Kanaya always felt particularly boisterous in this coat, and it seemed to give her an odd sort of confidence boost. In this coat, she was a risk taker. A rebel.

Kanaya slipped it off her arms, putting it in her hands, nails almost dry from her new coat of nail polish she had applied. Rose reached out her arm, slipping her arms through Kanaya's cool jacket. Rose sucked in the scent of Kanaya, which was of shampoo and plant life. Rose had always been puzzled for the reason Kanaya smelled like fresh basil, but it was a good smell and that's what mattered. Kanaya finally breaks the awkward silence.

"Rose, I do think perhaps we should go somewhere. To relax." Kanaya coughs haphazardly.

"I think I know somewhere." The way Rose says it is suspiciously confident. Kanaya gulps. That girl is planning something.

They walk to the park of Rose's old elementary school. The equipment is green, though some of the paint is chipping. Kanaya picks at the paint as Rose talks on about her grade school girl crush, Jade. Skin darker than hers, and long, messy black hair. Kanaya tries not to be jealous of a girl Rose crushed on in 5th grade, but the lurking envy still makes its way to her.

"...of course, it was only elementary, so no one really knew much about romance yet. Though they knew it involved kissing, or something. Gender barriers seemed to be nonexistent, as I'm pretty sure Dave macked on John a few times, though I can't remember if it was in a bro way or not..."

Kanaya could listen to her voice forever. It's sappy, but unfalteringly true. Kanaya remembers she got a crush on most of the girls in her class, though always swallowed her feelings in favor of keeping her identity a secret. Kanaya knows her school was nothing like the one Rose went to.

"Kanaya?" Kanaya fumbles a bit on the platform, since she had been gazing into the far recesses of space. Rose had snapped her out of her trance. Kanaya turns to face her, and before she realizes it, Rose's face is incredibly close to hers.

Rose seals the space between them. At first, Kanaya is surprised; but then leans into the kiss. Rose tastes like Starburst and smells like her mom's perfume, a generic lavender scent. It's still pleasant, though.

Kanaya pulls away, and gazes into Rose's eyes as Rose gazes at her. Rose then abruptly breaks into laughter. Kanaya finds herself laughing too.

* * *

 

When Kanaya gets home, (the time is 8:49 p.m., since it's still a school night), she texts Karkat;

"I kissed her on the lips and she tastes like Starburst."

Kanaya then soon goes to bed.

In the morning, Karkat blasts her with texts asking for the details.

Kanaya smiles, but frowns when she realizes Rose took her favorite jacket.

_Oh well,_ thinks Kanaya,

_Such is the price of love._  

**Author's Note:**

> this is cheesy and im gay  
> then again isnt that how most of my fanfics go


End file.
